At an Oct. 6 Winter Park town council meeting, council members discussed and approved five action items and three new resolutions. Staff updates also mentioned the town’s award for exceptional public transit in Colorado.

As a result of action item approvals, a new solar energy system will be added to their public works facility. Staff also approved payments to complete emergency street repairs — despite the costs putting them more than $300,000 over their allotted budget.

Here are the key takeaways from the night:

$550K solar microgrid approved

Council members voted to move forward with hiring Active Energies Solar to build a solar microgrid at the town’s public works facility.

Builders will create a small, self-contained electric system that can operate independently from the main power grid. Plans include a 115-kilowatt solar photovoltaic array, which generates electricity from sunlight, and a 240-kilowatt-hour battery storage system.

The project aims to create more sustainable and efficient town infrastructure, according to Winter Park’s Sustainable Community Coordinator Mia Dorris. Construction is expected to start in the spring, pending the project’s approval for a federal solar tax credit, she said.

In December 2024, Town Council applied for a climate resilience grant from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, and received $300,000 to fund the microgrid. The total project cost is $552,683, leaving about $252,683 for the Town to cover. However, up to 30 percent of that cost would be offset through the solar tax credit, Dorris said.

According to a memo from the Oct. 6 meeting, the solar array and battery system will allow the public works facility to operate for up to 48 hours during a power outage using stored solar energy. The system will create a “resilience hub” that keeps essential services running during emergencies, and save the town about $13,600 each year in electricity costs. Additionally, it would reduce the town’s carbon emissions by an estimated 111 metric tons each year.

Costly emergency street repairs downtown

This spring, Winter Park’s public works staff identified two areas on Winter Park Drive that required immediate emergency repairs due to significant road damage.

The town collaborated with engineering firm Kimley-Horn and New West Paving to complete the necessary work on both Winter Park Drive and Timberhouse Drive. Because the projects involved work within the Union Pacific Railroad right of way, New West Paving was required to obtain special training, permits and insurance to comply with Federal Railroad Administration requirements for the Vasquez Road Quiet Zone crossing.

According to Public Works Director Jamie Wolter, the full scope and cost of the repairs could not be determined until after excavation and evaluation. Similarly, costs for the railroad-related work were unknown until the required permits and insurance were finalized.

The invoice for the two emergency repairs and the Vasquez Road work totaled at $428,344. The total cost for all asphalt work performed this summer reached $754,387 — exceeding the the town’s 2025 asphalt maintenance budget by $314,387.

Wolter said the damage on Winter Park Drive was likely caused by harsh mountain weather and repeated freeze-thaw cycles.

“We’ve had problems with it in the past,” Wolter said the town council meeting. But this year, an 18 to 20-inch upward swell from a frost heave in the middle of the roadway meant the road had to be dug up, he said.

At the Winter Park base area near Timberhouse Drive, crews also addressed a recurring water issue. “The introduction of water from a natural source exacerbated the problem and caused road heaving that impacted the safety of the motoring public,” Wolter said in an email. Crews dug 18 inches below the existing subgrade, installed a storm sewer inlet, rebuilt the road and repaved the area to resolve the issue.

Council members approved the additional payment to cover the emergency roadwork costs.

Winter Park transit receives state recognition

The Colorado Association of Transit Agencies awarded Winter Park Lift as resort agency of year. The state award recognizes best practices implemented by a transit agency that serve communities higher than 6,600 feet in altitude and provides transit for tourist destinations.

This is Winter Park Lift’s fourth award for transit since 2017. The free bus system services Winter Park, Fraser and Granby year-round.

Winter Park transit staff credited the Lift employees and the bus’ regular 15-minute service for its efficiency, while thanking town council members’ willingness to invest in public transit.